On the Twelfth Day of Christmas

by Mona K. Gedney

Holiday magic can make dreams come true...

Will Christmas complications...

Violet Leigh has always loved the Christmas season...until she finds herself at a holiday house party she earnestly wishes to avoid. Not only must she curb her flirtatious widowed mother and two high-spirited siblings, but the event is hosted by former rival Delight Ashton. Worst of all, Travis Halliday, whose hand she once refused, is in also attendance. While she fends off Delight's barbs and the lecherous Lord Crawton, Violet notices that Travis has become a mature and thoughtful man. Did she make the wrong decision—and can it be undone?

...Ring in a joyous New Year?

Miss Violet Leigh's calm rejection delivered one of the rudest awakenings in Travis Halliday's arrogant young life. To see Violet again brings it all back...but he's not the same man he once was. Weary of his former rakehell ways, Travis has returned to his property and tenants. Now, as he observes Violet's quiet pluck and serene loveliness, he's tempted to propose once more. Yet a ton gathering wouldn't be complete without a juicy scandal brewing—and this time, Violet is implicated. But amidst the merry revelries of Twelfth Night, true love always makes its match.

Genres: Regency, Christmas, Romance, Historical, British Literature

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.00 stars - mild pg13 (A secular “clean” traditional Regency --- there might be use of: mild cursing/profanity, innuendo, mention of mistresses, gambling, drinking, etc. -- see specific details below)

Quite enjoyable fluff. The first chapter is slow, but it was okay since needed to set up back story of heroine.

(This is a fairly “clean” traditional Regency. I did not make note of any expletives or God’s name being used in vain, although it is possible I missed something. Talk of gambling. There was one mention of opera dancers but it was written in such a way that, unless you’ve read a lot of traditional Regencies, you wouldn’t assume they were mistresses.)

So far, I’m enjoying this author’s books, my favorite is Frost Fair Fiancé, followed by A Christmas Betrothal.

[Gaylina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read another book by this author and it was quite good so I thought I would give this book a try. I read it until I finished it. I didn’t feel it was that interesting. Thankfully it only had 224 pages or I probably would’ve stopped in the middle of the book and not finished it. I did like the spunk of the main character, Miss Violet Leigh. I really admired the way she took care of her brother and sister. I appreciated the fact that it was a clean story and a book that I could pass on to my daughter and not have worries about the sex content.

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this traditional Regency - it started out very nicely but it took a turn in the plot that wasn't quite what I expected or enjoyed. The summary of the book that GR has shows a very promising plot but it just never happened for me. I thought the resolution to the 'problem' (no spoilers from me) in the book was rather silly, and the ending was abrupt. I've read other trads with similar plots that were very well done but in spite of that promising beginning the story fell apart along the way. Creating unique characters can't be easy but the people in this book were clichés with nothing really new and different about them. Gedney has always been a hit or miss author for me, and I think this book is just about, or slightly above, average for her. I have to admit that I really, really miss the traditional Regency books. I still mourn their demise.

This book was donated in 2017.

[Linda C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Violet Leigh and her family attend a house party over the Christmas holidays, much to her regret, since she and the daughter of the house have never gotten along. And this year she finds that the gentleman, Travis Halliday, that she rejected 2 years previously is also in attendance. He is again in need of a wife in order to claim his inheritance, having used his revitalization of his West Indies estates to postpone his debt after Violet's refusal. He is viewing Violet's nemesis as potential wife material. The story revolves around this triangle and their attempts to learn each other's true nature. Other plots involving her brother's gambling and his pet monkey liven the story. Nice story.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters felt one dimensional to me. The dialogue very "starchy" which maybe could be attributed to the author's attempt to capture the speech patterns of the period in which the storywas set. Sections were very confusing as there was no clear separation between prologue and start of the current setting of the story.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise, unexpectedly feisty heroine who is willing to defend her own. Cute read.

[Epeeblade · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow this book was all over the place. There were tons of POV shifts. The hero and heroine hardly interacted in the latter half, and the denouement was dumb and out of character for the heroine.